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IBEW Member Wins
State Office in Oregon

May 25, 2002

IBEW member Dan Gardner won a decisive 59 percent of the vote in a four-way primary race Tuesday for state Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries.

With 97 percent of the precincts reporting, Gardner, a member of Local 48 in Portland, has been declared winner in the nonpartisan race. By capturing more than 50 percent of the vote, he avoids a contest in the general election.

Gardner, an experienced state legislator, had been favored to win. His leading opponent garnered only 23 percent of the vote, with the others trailing at 15 and 6 percent. Forty percent of the eligible voters turned out.

Gardner, an inside wireman, will be heading in January the agency charged with protecting workers and children in the workplace, governing registered apprenticeship programs and banning employment discrimination.

"Its sweet," Gardner said of his victory. He said he plans to spend the rest of the year campaigning for candidates in the fall congressional and gubernatorial races and working on transition issues.

Gardner said he won all 36 counties in the Oregon, the only state with 100 percent mail-in balloting. With 10 percent of the population voting on Tuesday, the final figures will not be verified until Friday.

Gardner said his biggest priority on the job will be to make sure Oregon never again tops the country in unemployment, as it does currently. He will concentrate on encouraging investment in transportation and telecommunications in an effort to attract businesses and family wage jobs. He also plans to expand job fairs to attract more interest in apprenticeship programs and ensure a fair and level playing field between employers and workers.

Dan Gardner, Local 48 inside wireman, won 4-way primary race for Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor and Industries for Oregon.

LU 48 Web site

IBEW Member Makes Statewide Run in Oregon